YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown Press Club members will observe World Press Freedom Day on May 3 by reading the names of 129 journalists killed last year while practicing their profession.
The sixth annual Mahoning Valley event, which is part of a global recognition, will begin at noon at The Butler Institute of American Art, 524 Wick Ave.
The event is free and open to the public, and reservations are not required.
The number of journalists killed in 2025 was the highest number since the Committee to Protect Journalists began tracking these numbers in 1992. The previous record was set in 2024, when 103 journalists were killed.
“Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever,” said Jodie Ginsberg, the committee’s chief executive officer.
More than three-fifths of the journalists were killed in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, according to the committee, which is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide.
Among the top five nations for journalist deaths last year, Sudan accounted for nine; Mexico, six; Russia, four; and the Philippines, three.
In this year’s Youngstown observance, the Youngstown Press Club members reading the names of journalists killed last year will include George Denney, Ben Davis, Nicarlyle Hanchard, JoAnn Kolarik, Meghan Louttit, Jim Michaels, Paulina Montaldo, Chelsea Simeon, Chris Travers, Emily Webster Love, Tom Williams and Ralph Zerbonia.